


Picture This

by Catoukin (Visionairz)



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: (POV) Albert DaSilva, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Betrayal, Drunk Racetrack Higgins, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, Filmography Camp, Fluff, Gay Panic, Like what is up with that kid, M/M, Race is suspicious, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, and Albert notices, he's too happy for his own good
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22234108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Visionairz/pseuds/Catoukin
Summary: A filmography camp during July didn’t sound that bad. A month long and spanning the entire month full of classes to help students improve their filming and acting, it sounded wonderful! Except for the fact it was hosted right next to the Atlantic Ocean. It couldn’t be that bad, right? Wrong.
Relationships: Albert DaSilva/Racetrack Higgins, David Jacobs/Jack Kelly
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	Picture This

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is my first work in this fandom. Like, my very first. Hopefully the characters aren't too OOC, I'll try my best to keep them true to the broadway characters!

A filmography camp during July didn’t sound that bad. A month long and spanning the entire month full of classes to help students improve their filming and acting, it sounded wonderful! Except for the fact it was hosted right next to the Atlantic Ocean. It couldn’t be that bad, right? Wrong.

Albert had signed up for the camp a year ago when one of his professors mentioned it. He didn’t expect to actually win the raffle for a fully paid scholarship from the college considering at least 200 kids had put their names in. But, here he was, hundreds of miles away from home surrounded by other teenagers and young adults he’d never met in his life.

Of course, like the idiot he was, he forgot to check the location.

Albert hated the ocean for years. Nearly a decade now actually. He had been on vacation with his little sister and his parents when he was ten, the last time he had ever stepped near an ocean.

* * *

“Albert, come on!” His sister called, waving her hands in the air. She held her goggles in a tight fist as she tried to get his attention. “You gotta come get in the water with me!”

With a soft chuckle, Albert kicked off his sandals and ran down to the water to stand by his sister. “Get in the water with you, eh?” A mischievous grin started to tug at his lips. “So be it.” The ginger grabbed his little sister under her arms, much to her surprise, and began to carry her to the water.

Her squeals of protest kept pausing to give way to her shrieking laughter. “Albie, stop! Albie!” She was cackling by the time Albert was up to his knees in the ocean. “Albie put me down!”

“Put you down?” He asked, his expression shifting into a smirk. “Gladly!”

“Wait, no-!”

Albert hefted his sister one last time before chucking her into the water. Her scream was cut off with a loud splash. A few moments later, the small girl burst to the surface and was giggling.

She swam back to her brother until she could stand. When her feet were planted, she grinned and leaped on him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, with the help of the incoming wave, knocked him out of balance. They both fell under the water.

The sudden motion surprised Albert. His eyes shot open under the murky water. He couldn’t see anything, not even the form of his sister whose entire body weight was pressed against him. Her arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, holding him down as yet another wave passed over them. The current pulled them further down only to shove them along in a tumble.

The ginger grabbed his sister as he tried to right himself to be able to stand and pulled her up with him. Once they were above, Albert gasped and unlatched his sister. When she was standing next to him, laughing and messing with the straps of her one piece, Albert shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. He proceeded to wipe his eyes before looking down at his sister. With a glare, he lightly shoved her head. “Look what you did! We could’ve drowned!”

Neither of them truly took that fact seriously, though. Both of them ended up laughing at the situation and his sister even tried to do it again. This time, Albert was prepared. Instead of being thrown under the water, he just spun around and dunked her.

As soon as she was back above the surface, her eyes were shining with mischief. She let go of Albert and slapped his arm. “Tag, you’re it!” She shouted. Before Albert could even reach out and hit her, she was swimming off.

“You’re dead!” Albert called. He ran after her, slipping down below the surface to swim. She had goggles, he didn’t, which meant he would have to keep his head above the surface.

It didn’t take long for Albert to catch up to his sister. He grabbed her ankle as she tried to kick water in his face. “You’re it!”

“Albie!” She shrieked. A large smile was plastered on her little round face. By the time she was free and able to chase after her brother, Albert was already swimming off.

He kept going further and further away from shore, leading his sister into deeper waters. Albert would occasionally glance behind him to see if she was still following (she was). Eventually, he came to a stop, both tired but also greedy. He kept treading water as the waves kept shoving him up and pulling him down. Yet, as his eyes scanned over the surrounding ocean, he couldn’t find her.

The next thing Albert knew, something grabbed his leg and pulled him under. His totally manly scream was cut off by saltwater forcing its way into his mouth. It started to shove its way down his throat and his panic got the best of him. He took whatever was holding onto him and ripped it off. Within moments, he was back to the surface sputtering and coughing. Just next to him, another head popped up: his sister.

“What the heck?” Albert exclaimed, attempting to rub his eyes as he tried to stay above the churning water. “Why would you do that?”

When he didn’t get an answer, Albert squinted past the dripping water. The sting of the saltwater burned his eyes but when he realized he couldn’t see his sister, his eyes shot right open. 

“Hey sis?” He called. “Sis, where are you?” Albert continued to spin around until he saw her head pop up for a split second a couple feet away. He immediately began to move. He swam in her direction and went to reach for her but soon found himself caught off guard by another wave.

Albert was sucked down far below the surface. He made the mistake of opening his mouth and was assaulted by a sudden surge of even more saltwater. His sense of direction fell away as his focus was suddenly on the need for air. He couldn’t breathe and the more he tried to, more water forced its way into his lungs.

By some miracle, Albert was able to get to the surface. But, by some sort of terrible force that decided he needed some horrible luck, Albert was pulled right back under. He hadn’t been able to get any air in before he was surrounded by the near-opaque water.

During his panic, his vision began to close around him. Darkness started to slither in from the corners, trying to completely cover his sight. The more it encroached, the slower and more sporadic his movement became.

Before his awareness gave entirely away, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his torso.

He opened his eyes to a repetitive pressure on his chest. His vision was blurry and his eyes burned but he wasn’t able to focus on that. The next thing he knew, he was coughing and vomiting. Rushes of water spewed from his mouth as he quickly pushed himself into a semi sitting position. It drenched the sand below him, along with his lunch from earlier. 

It wouldn’t stop for what felt like ages, but when it did, he fell back with his face to the sky. The faint sound of muffled speech reached his ears but never processed.

Before he fell back into unconsciousness, he saw the fuzzy image of a young boy with curly… blonde? Brown? Hair. He didn’t remember seeing a kid like that.

Albert woke up to a slow beeping nearby. It was consistent and high pitched right next to his head. When it didn’t stop, he groaned and pressed his hands against his eyes. Well, he tried to. He felt an odd tug in the crook of his arm.

Opening his eyes, Albert glanced down at his arm and came to find an IV sticking out of it. He started to look around the room he was in and felt his stomach start to twist when he realized where he was. He was in a hospital room, laying in a small bed that faced a muted TV. To his left was a bright window with the blinds raised to let sunlight in. To his right was a monitor and some other medical equipment Albert didn’t recognize.

Albert’s gaze finally landed on a chair in the opposite corner of the room. In it, he saw his dad passed out with an open book in his lap.

“Dad?” The man didn’t move, so he tried again, this time a bit louder. “Dad?” That time his dad heard him and perked up. The moment his eyes landed on Albert, they lit up.

“You’re awake!” His dad closed the book without bothering to mark the page and got to his feet. He crossed the room over to Albert. When the ginger tried to sit up, his dad stopped him by pressing his chest. “Lay down, I don’t want you to strain yourself.”

Albert listened to the man and didn’t move to sit up again. “What happened?” His voice was small, barely audible if his dad wasn’t standing so close. “Dad?..”

His dad placed his hand on Albert’s arm, his expression growing solemn. The silence was uneasy for the boy. “Dad, what happened?”

The man pursed his lips and glanced away from his son. Albert grew anxious with each passing second.

“You and your sister… you got pulled under by the current,” the man admitted. 

Albert’s stomach dropped at those very words. He wasn’t sure how to react or how to feel, to know both of them had gone under.

“Another boy your age managed to get ahold of you though and got you out,” his dad assured, gently rubbing his thumb along Albert’s arm. “He got you back to the shore and we made sure you were okay.”

“But what about..?”

Albert’s dad bit his lip and looked back at his son. He seemed so torn, like there was a battle in his own mind trying to figure out what to say, what to tell his son.

“We couldn’t find her.”

* * *

July 1st, 20XX

Albert sat at the top of the hill that looked down upon the exact same beach and ocean. Any other day, he would have avoided the water. He would have stayed back in the hotel they were all lodged in instead of agreeing to tag along with his roommate. But the night before he lost a bet and now he had to face his worst fear.

He wasn’t too excited to go down to the shore. He was rather content where he was in fact. The light breeze mixed with the warmth of the sun was soothing and kept Albert calm. He was able to sit there with his eyes closed to soak it all in for a while until someone started to nudge his shoulder.

“Come on Albert, you gotta follow through,” the voice said.

Albert opened his eyes and looked up at the newcomer. Standing above him was his roommate, Jack Kelly. He’d never met the brunet before yesterday, but they got along pretty well. Jack was definitely the kind of guy Albert would try and stay in contact with in the future, as hard as it would be.

With an eye roll, Albert turned his attention back to the ocean. “I don’t know. You never said when I had to do it.”

Jack scoffed and kicked the ginger’s leg. “Oh come on! We’re all waiting for you! You already have your trunks on.” Albert huffed and punched Jack’s leg in return.

“The only reason I even have these stupid things is because I planned on swimming in the _pool_ , not the ocean,” he pointed out.

Apparently his roommate wouldn’t take that as an answer, because he grabbed Albert by his bicep and pulled him to his feet. “We’re gonna go swimming! Come on!”

Albert sighed and pulled his arm away from Jack. “I burn so easily, I don’t think it’s a good idea…”  
  
“Of course it is!” Jack exclaimed, throwing out his arms. “We have plenty of sunscreen down there, we can slather you right up!”

Albert shifted on his feet as he stared at the ocean. There really was no way for him to get out of the bet when he was already so far. After all, it _has_ been ten years, so it wouldn’t hurt to step back in the water.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and then turned to Jack. “Fine, I’ll do it. But I’m not going any further than my knees.”

That answer seemed to be good enough for Jack as he was now dragging Albert onto the sand. The ginger let it happen. There was no way he could get out of it at this rate.

It wouldn’t be too bad, right? He’d just take a couple steps into the water, turn around and announce to his roommate he did it, then get back out. No big deal!

At least, that’s what Albert thought on his way down the small hill of sand. By the time his sandals were off and his bare feet was on wet sand, logic was out of the window. His feet stuck to where they were as he stared wide-eyed at the large expanse of murky green water. 

The shouts and laughter around him started to fade into the background as Albert began to fixate of the waves before him. Up and down, all of the foam gathering and spraying as it ran into people. All he could do was stare at the ever approaching and receding water.

A hand on his shoulder made Albert jump and turn around, snapping him out of the small trance. Jack eyed him with an unreadable expression. If it was pity, Albert was going to deck him.

“Are you alright?” Jack asked. Concern flashed across his features in the process.

“I- yeah. Yeah, I’m good.” Albert pushed Jack’s hand off of his shoulder. “I just… I don’t think I can do it today.”

Jack smiled. “That’s valid. You can just sit on our towels and sunbathe or something while we head out into the water.” With that, Jack turned and started to walk away from the ocean. He was soon followed by Albert in an attempt to get as far away from the water as possible. 

When Albert got settled on the towels and removed his shirt to slather himself in sunscreen, Jack and some of the others they had just met ran off towards the ocean. He envied them and their ability to run and swim their hearts out in the torrent of waves. He used to be able to do that without a care in the world but now he was stranded on the coast. 

Over the course of the next few minutes, Albert ended up laying back and relaxing in the sunlight. The feeling of the rays hitting his skin was soothing, the warmth soaking into him and leaving him feeling like he could lay there for hours.

Eventually, after what felt like not nearly enough time, Albert sat up and opened his eyes. He stretched for a good moment before twisting to crack his back. He wasn’t sure how long he had been laying there since he hadn;t actually brought his phone out with him. None of the others had returned during that time, meaning it couldn’t have been that long.

Instead of returning to his wonderful position where he had been basking in the sunlight, Albert simply crossed his legs indian style and looked out at the groups of teenagers and young adults playing in the water. They were all enjoying themselves. Splashing each other, tossing a ball around, jumping in the waves… everyone had something fun to do.

It’s not like Albert was upset about that or anything. In fact, he was rather content where he was. It was more how he felt like he was missing out. After all, they only got so many true down days at the beach during the camp. Yeah, they would probably head out to the shore for different activities, but that’s not the same as bonding with new people by messing around in the ocean.

Albert sighed and leaned back, pressing his hands into the sand behind him for support. He may not get to meet any new people aside from Jack and his friends during the down days, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be able to chat with people during the rest of the month’s events. According to the itinerary, they would be spending a lot of time outdoors. It’s actually pretty nice.

To add to, it’s not like he’ll stay in touch with anyone he meets. None of the people in attendance actually go to his college. They come from all over the country in fact. According to Jack, though, most students that come are barely supported by scholarships. It costs a lot of money to go to such a camp, especially one as big as the film camp they’re in. Albert had quickly realized just how lucky he was to have been given the opportunity to attend such a thing for free. After all, his professor was more than willing to help pay.

As his eyes lazily trailed over the group of people not too far ahead of him, his gaze landed on one overly boisterous, blonde boy. His smile was wide as he tousled around with two other guys, throwing each other into the water. Every time he was tossed down he somehow managed to get up faster than any of the others. It was almost like he was used to the water. Albert wouldn’t doubt the kid was probably on a swim team.

What truly set the boy apart from the rest of the group was just how obnoxious his damn swim trunks were. Bright red! Bright freaking red! Who in their right mind would bring such a thing with them to a filmography camp where there are so many fashion snobs just waiting to pick at your style?

Not Albert, that’s for sure.

But this guy? God, this guy had some guts bringing such a bold statement to wear at the beach. Not that Albert was judging him. He’s not a fashion snob in the slightest. It just baffled him that this boy really didn’t seem to care at all.

It didn’t take long for Albert to grow bored of watching the others mess around. So, instead of staring blankly at other people, he instead tilted his head back so he faced the sky. The warmth of the sun felt even better in that moment. With his eyes shut, he was able to focus on his other senses. He could feel the cool breeze that ghosted his skin and the heat of the sand under his hands and legs. Oh, and the sound of the ocean… it was beautiful, as much as the thought of stepping into the murky waters scared him. Being able to just bask in the moment like a little reptile was all Albert really wanted.

“You’re wearing trunks but you haven’t even gotten in the water?” 

Albert opened his eyes and lifted his head so he could glare at whoever just spoke. Whoever decided it was a good idea to interrupt his moment of peace surely didn’t understand what it was like. Who in their right mind would try to snap someone out of a pleasant moment like that? He just wanted to sit there in peace without having to deal with going into the ocean and-

The first thing Albert saw was the goddamn red shorts. He groaned.

“Why does it matter?” He asked, now craning his neck to actually look at the guy’s face. Damn, those were some blue eyes.

The guy blinked and stood there for a moment. Did he not know how to respond? The boy huffed and pointed at Albert’s trunks. “Usually when a guy wears a swimsuit to the ocean, they go in the ocean!”

Albert shrugged. “What if I don’t wanna?”

“What if you don’t- WHAT?” The comment definitely caught the guy off guard as he was now staring at Albert, his mouth parted in shock.

“I don’t wanna go in the ocean,” Albert repeated. “Do I need to say it again?”

With a shake of his head, the blonde was quick to respond. “No, no it’s all good. I just- I’ve never had someone tell me they don’t want to.” He bit his lip and glanced down, earning a raised eyebrow from Albert. Silence hung between them in a now-awkward tension until the boy spoke. “Do, uh… do you want company?”

Albert’s expression shifted to a frown. “Company? Why?”  
  
“I don’t know, you seemed kinda lonely,” the boy said. “Thought you might enjoy it.”

Albert scoffed but patted the ground next to him anyway. “Yeah, sure, why not.”

When the boy sat down, the tension returned as neither of them spoke. The silence felt as though it were gripping Albert, tightening his muscles and keeping him still because if he moved, what if it did something weird to the situation? You know, how you just kinda sit there and wait for the other person to do something because dear Lord, Albert refused to be the one to break the tension.

To keep himself occupied, Albert returned his attention to the group messing around. He struggled to keep his eyes trained on them, as he found himself occasionally starting to glance over at the blonde.

Why did he want to sit next to him? What made him stop messing around with the other guys? Did he even want to talk? What would they talk about if he did? Or was he just messing with him… or was he part of the group last night when he was dared to face his horrid phobia?

“So, are you here for the film camp?” The boy asked.

Albert, now startled out of his thoughts, jumped and tried to play it off as he turned to face the blonde. “Uh… yeah. Yeah, I am.” Albert paused and licked his lips, not entirely sure what else to say. “Do you- are you here for it too?”

There was a moment of hesitation from the other. His eyes dropped down to his lap where he was now fiddling with one of the strings on the hideous red shorts. “I mean, you could say so?”

Albert frowned yet again. What kind of answer was that?

After a couple seconds, Albert cleared his throat and sat up to rest his arms in his lap. “That’s cool.”

Albert was starting to hate how awkward the entire situation was. It was terrible, having to sit there watching the boy as people shouted all around them. It’s not like he could move either, as the looming quiet was holding him in place.

The boy seemed to feel the same way. At least, with the whole hating how awkward it was, because he once again tried to spark up conversation. “Where do you go to school? I’ve heard so many different answers today. People come from all over to this camp, don’t they?”

“Manhattan,” Albert said. “The New York Film Academy to be exact.”

“Damn,” the blonde breathed, now looking straight at Albert. “Jekyll Island is really far away. You seriously came that far? I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised. I just got lucky since I don’t live too far off. A lot of you people live so far away though!”

Albert chuckled at the boy’s reaction. “Yeah, New York is a good distance away. Who would’ve thought I’d be spending a month of summer vacation on a beach in Georgia.”

“Well, at least you picked a good beach.”

Albert rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. The best thing about this beach is I get to sit on the sand without having to touch the water. I’d much rather go swimming in the pool at the hotel.”

“Well that’s boring,” the blonde said while crossing his arms. “Why would you go swimming in a pool when you’re so close to the ocean?”

“Because.”

The boy kept staring at Albert, waiting for a response. It didn’t take long for Albert to cave.  
  
“Maybe I didn’t want to swim in the ocean. I’m just not a fan of large bodies of water,” Albert said. “Is that a good enough answer?”

The boy narrowed his eyes at Albert for a few moments before dropping his hands in his lap. “Yup! All good on my end.” He then pointed at Albert, his expression growing somewhat stern for the few seconds that followed. “But I swear to you, I will get you in that ocean if its the last thing I do because damn, you’d have a lot of fun out there!”  
  
“Excuse me?” Albert asked, taken aback by the sudden change in tone.

“What? You looked like a lost puppy staring at us while I was messing around with those guys!” The boy exclaimed, a smile starting to form on his lips. “You think I’m going to let you sit around and just watch everyone have fun?”  
  
“...Yes?”

“No!” The boy poked Albert’s arm. “You’re going to have fun during this camp if it’s the last thing I do.”

Albert simply scoffed and shook his head.

* * *

July 2nd, 20XX

Albert was required to go to a photography class. It wasn’t so much about how to use a camera or take pictures, but rather about how to find the proper lighting and setting. After all, whether you’re behind the camera or out on the stage, you want to know just exactly what to do. It’s not like you want to do your best take only for the lighting to leave you in the shadows.

Throughout the month, Albert would have to attend multiple classes about photography and filmography, film editing, acting, dancing, and directing. The schedule was weirdly spaced out, at least for Albert. After comparing it to Jack’s, he soon found that the other had a much better layout for the next few weeks. That also meant Albert would have to talk to new people. Yay.

The instructor was going over the basics of how to use a camera. What each button meant, how to switch between modes and change the lighting, everything Albert already knew.

The students were given the option to bring their own cameras if they had any and, thank God, Albert had his own. He had used the camera for well over a year now, meaning he was well accustomed to it. So, he zoned out. His eyes wandered around the beach they were standing on.

Albert would’ve assumed that because they were taking a photography class, they would venture out into the rest of Jekyll Island. Instead, their task was to take pictures of what they could find on the beach: the ocean, seashells, animals, you name it.

While his bored gaze wandered around the beach, he had to do a double take when he spotted someone sitting not too far off. Floppy, curly blonde hair was being tossed around in the breeze as the guy faced the ocean. His hands were clasped in his lap, only reaching up once to straighten his blue and white striped shirt. 

What was he doing here?

“Alright, get a move on! Be back here in two hours so we can look over your first photos!” The instructor announced, spreading her arms out wide. “Go show me what you can do!”

The group was hesitant to disperse when the instructor walked off. They hung together, some of them chatting amongst themselves and others just standing there. No one really seemed to know what to do until two of the students broke off. Once those two had left, the rest of the group started to go their separate ways.

This gave Albert the opportunity to indulge his curiosity. While everyone else split off to take pictures, Albert made a beeline to the boy.

Albert's hand rested on the camera that hung around his neck as he closed the distance between himself and the blonde. When he was within a few feet, the boy looked up and a large smile formed near instantly.

"What are you doing here?" Albert asked once he was standing over the boy. 

"I'm enjoying the view," the boy said. He tilted his head at Albert. "Is that not allowed?"

Albert frowned. "Shouldn't you have a camera? You weren't even with the group for the assignment."

The guy pursed his lips for a moment before they twisted into a smirk. “Mm… I don’t know. But with that face of yours? I would love to have one just to see your face every day.”

Albert stared at the boy for a solid couple of seconds before scoffing and crossing his arms. “Yeah, sure. But seriously, where is your camera?”

“I don’t have one,” the blonde said. 

“You-” Albert paused and looked down at the boy in utter confusion. “You don’t have a camera? Don’t you know they have some for every student to use? Especially for this class?”

“I’m not in the class.”

“You’re not- what? Then why are you here?” Albert asked. What in the world was this boy doing out on the beach with the photography group if he wasn’t part of it? “What class are you supposed to be in?”  
  
The boy shrugged. “I told you, I’m just trying to enjoy the view.”

Albert looked at the blonde in sheer disbelief. “Wow, okay.” He proceeded to press the palms of his hands over his eyes and take a deep breath. “Look, I have to take some photos. We have to get back together in two hours for inspection. So…”

“So… I’ll come with you!” The guy scrambled to his feet before Albert could even try and protest. “Where to?”

Albert stood there, now looking up at the guy. He licked his lips as he tried to think about what to do because he had not anticipated in the blonde wanting to come with. “Uh… okay. That works. Yeah.” He cleared his throat and glanced away. “I’m not entirely sure. I just know I need a good amount before time is up.”

The boy was quiet for a few moments before he pointed out at the ocean. “There’s no harm in taking a picture of the waves.”

Take a picture of the ocean? That is the most simplistic idea Albert had ever heard. While it was easy enough to get a good picture of the water, it was one of the most obvious decisions and Albert was pretty sure photography was not only about how good the photo was, but also the creativity. The guy had to be kidding.

“No, I don’t think-”

“Oh, come on! Just take a picture of the ocean!”

Albert sighed and lifted his camera. Judging from what he knew of the boy’s personality, if he didn’t take the picture, the guy was not going to shut up about it. Ever. Not in a million years.

As he peered through the lense, Albert scowled. There was no way the instructor would like a photo of the most simple subject. But, what harm would it do? With a couple back and forths between peering through the camera and adjusting the lighting settings, Albert was able to snap a picture of one of the incoming waves. After taking a glance at it, he did it a couple more times.

Once he was finished, Albert lowered the camera and scrolled through the couple pictures he took. They weren’t that bad, but definitely boring.

“Oh, I like that one!” The blonde pointed at the first photo Albert had taken. “It’s pretty!”

Albert rolled his eyes and let the camera rest against his chest. Part of the strap started to dig into his neck when he did this, but he made no move to fix it. “It’s just a picture of a wave, it’s no big deal. There has to be a lot better things around here I can take pictures of.”

“Well, yeah, I guess,” the blonde mumbled. “There’s a really cool beach here with a ton of driftwood and driftwood trees, but that’s on the far end of the island and would take absolute ages to get to. But around there there's a ton of birds and there’s also a sort of forest.”

Albert thought for a moment, now looking in the direction of the forest the guy had mentioned. “How about we go there. The forest, that is. There’s gotta be some cool plants I could get a picture of, maybe even animals if I’m lucky.”

And so off they went, walking side by side along the beach. It was a slow stroll, but not bad at all. The lapping of the ocean against the shore was soothing in a way, keeping Albert at ease despite all of the horrors of so much as touching the ocean. He enjoyed the peace while he had it. The boy wasn’t talking, no one was shouting… it was just so calm.

“I never caught your name,” the blonde piped up, snapping Albert back to reality.

“Me?” Albert asked in shock. “Oh, yeah, duh. My name’s Albert.”

“Albert,” the boy said, as if he was testing the name. “That’s a boring name, can I call you sweetheart instead?” Albert choked on absolutely nothing. When he didn’t respond and only stared at him incredulously, the boy smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“What, no, I didn’t-”

The boy tsked and shook his head. “You already gave me your answer, sweetheart.”

Albert groaned and rubbed his face. There was no way he was going to avoid the nickname now, was there. “Just tell me your name then.”

“Race.”

Albert glanced back over at ‘Race’ with a raised eyebrow. “Race, what kind of name is that?”

“A nickname,” ‘Race’ said rather bluntly. 

“Well, then, what’s your real name?”

‘Race’ stopped in his tracks and looked straight at Albert. A pondering expression replaced his amused one as he thought. It quickly switched back to his usual smile. “Racetrack.”

Albert stopped as well and met the taller boy’s gaze only to huff at the revelation. “Yeah, sure it is. Racetrack. What mother in their right mind would name their child Racetrack?”

“Not mine, that’s for sure,” Race admitted with a chuckle. “She honestly hates the nickname and how much it’s caught on. No one even seems to know my real name except for my family anymore.”

“I’m not sure if that’s hilarious or pitiful,” Albert mumbled as he turned to continue walking.

The two continued on their way along the beach. Every now and then, Race would point out different objects or plants for Albert to take pictures of. Most of the time, Albert would decline but occasionally he would amuse the guy and take the pictures.

The walk was nice. Every now and then they would pass by some other students who were out taking pictures for the class and they would wave. Well, more like Race would wave at the other student and make an entire awkward situation where Albert pretended not to see the person and would just keep walking. 

When they came across an area with loosely spread out trees, Race stopped and motioned at it with a grand, dramatic gesture. “Here we are!”

Albert stopped next to Race and let out an exasperated sigh. This was not a forest at all. It was literally just some trees planted in an area meant for kids to play around or something. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Hey, you put me on the spot! I didn’t know what else to call the place and you didn’t ask any questions! It’s your fault for getting your hopes up,” Race proclaimed.

“I hate you, I really do,” Albert stated. “There is nothing on this planet that can change my mind.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart,” Race cooed as Albert began to head towards the trees. He was quick to follow after the ginger, sticking close as Albert looked up towards the top of the trees. 

Race stayed quiet -- thank the Lord, amen -- as Albert squatted down on the ground and lifted his camera. He took a couple photos from that angle, adjusting the lighting here and there as he needed to get a better image. When he was satisfied with those photos, Albert got up and moved more towards the center of the small grove of trees. 

This time, Albert lowered himself to the ground and lay down on his back. From there, he began the process of taking a couple more photos. It took a few tries to get his desired effect, but it worked soon enough.

While Albert was going over his photos after he dusted his back off, he was well aware of the presence that was Race hovering over his shoulder.

“Could you take some pictures of me?” Race asked.

“Huh?” Albert turned his head in an attempt to look at Race. “I mean, sure, why not?”

The answer must’ve made Race rather excited, as he was now sporting a goofy grin and looked like he was trying not to squeal like a little girl.

So, Albert, considering the requirements of the assignment, actually found himself much more willing than initially anticipated. He had to take pictures of things on or around the beach, she never said it couldn’t be people.

Albert tapped on the camera in thought. The problem was where he would take the pictures. All he had to work with was trees, bushes, and the open expanse of the ocean. Albert looked over Race as he tried to figure it out. Race had on nice blues and whites, so it was possible he could do them with the ocean. But, at the same time, he could probably find a way to work Race into the current surroundings.

No. No, he had to do it with the water otherwise it wouldn’t look good.

It was then when Albert realized that Race wasn’t wearing shoes. At all. Like, he didn’t even have sandals or flip-flops on. Race was flat out barefoot. Albert could make that work.

“Alright, I have an idea,” Albert finally said. Race stared at him expectantly. “Let’s go back to the beach.”

Race nodded and so began their short trek back to the shore. Soon enough, their feet were back on the sand and Albert was leading Race down towards the water.

“What are we gonna do?” Race asked, eyes wide with wonder. “Well, what do you want me to do?”

Albert pointed to where the remnants of waves lapped at the went sand. “Walk along there. Don’t be goofy or anything. Just walk.”

“That’s simple enough.” Race walked past Albert towards the water and glanced down at it then back at Albert. “Do you want me to walk normally or…”

“Act like you’re confident. Stand tall but also act like you’re sight-seeing. Maybe put your hands in your pockets and look out at the ocean from time to time. Just wing it,” Albert explained.

Race shrugged. “Sound’s good.”

As Race was getting ready to do what he was told, Albert lifted his camera and began to test the lighting. When it was where he wanted it, Albert gave the other a thumbs up.

And so, for the next twenty minutes, the two did their thing. Albert snapped multiple photos of Race being serious and then even more when they started to screw around. He got some of Race making weird faces and some where he struck absolutely absurd and unnatural poses. Albert wasn’t even sure how he managed to snap a picture of Race laying down in the air. Right after he took the photo, Race had fallen into the water in a sprawling mess, leaving Albert keeled over with laughter.

When the two finally finished up, Race was dripping wet and Albert was making an effort to not let the other touch him. He would much rather stay dry than return to the instructor looking like he had jumped straight into the ocean.

That didn’t work too well because the next thing he knew, the bottom of his shirt was drenched from Race drying his hands off on it.

“Hey!” Albert exclaimed, swatting Race’s hands away. “Why would you do that?”  
  
Race shrugged and flashed an innocent smile. “I just needed to dry my hands off. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem for you, it should dry here soon.”

Albert frowned. “What?”

“You know, because you’re hot!”

Albert stared at Race, face void of emotion because what?

“You know, cause you’re hot, so the water would just evaporate?” Race explained, motioning at Albert, who still didn’t get it. “Like how when things are hot water starts to boil and stuff!”

It took a few moments for the words to process in Albert’s mine who proceeded to groan when he figured it out. He pointed at Race and said, “I swear to God, that was the worst line I’ve ever heard.”

Race giggled and then started to slowly walk off. “Race ya to your instructor,” he shouted before taking off like a shot.

Albert stood there for a few moments as he watched the blonde boy run off. How the guy even had energy now after all of the stupid photos they took was completely beyond Albert but you know what? Maybe he’ll figure out why the boy goes by Race.

**Author's Note:**

> Make sure to drop me a follow on tumblr @alberts-hat for more quality content <3


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